Running-board bracket.



w. E. FOWLER, sR. RUNNING BOARD BRACKET. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1914.

I I Patented M13 18, 1915.

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WILLIAM E. FOWLER, 3., on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIcNon TO THE FOWLER CAR COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

I'NQ-QBQ gRD BRACKET- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. FOWLER,

Sr., a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running Board Brackets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway cars and has particular reference to a novel running board bracket or saddle for use in connection therewith.

Freight cars are equipped on their top surfaces with a running board such board usually being supported on a wooden bracket .or saddle and nailed or otherwise secured thereto. Such boards frequently become disengaged and unsafe unless means are provided for securely holding the same in place. I

An object of my invention is to provide a metallic saddle or bracket, all the fastening devices being of metal and therefore not easily affected by the elements.

A further object is to provide a device of this sort which may be constructed eX- tremely cheap; that is, a device which shall perform the necessary functions but which shall be of so simple and inexpensive construction as to induce its adoption in place of the Wooden saddles now generally in use.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through a portion of a railway car having my novel saddle applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a slightly modified construction, and, Fig. 4: is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that my novel saddle 10, is supported on and secured to a roof 11, the angular ends 12, of the metallic saddle acting as supports therefor. Running boards 13, are laid on the saddle and a clamping strip 14, is laid on the boards. This strip,

as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may be held at its ends by means of a bolt 15, passing through an aperture formed near the end of the saddle 10. The ends of the strip 14, are

, offset or depressed as at 16, and the nuts of the bolts are seated in'these depressed porl tions. out from the body of the strip 14, and serve as spacing means for the bolts 13. At the center a bolt 18, is passed through an aperture in the saddle 10, and a thimblefi 19, thence through theroof and the ridge pole 20, where it is secured bya suitablenut. This provides not only for the'attachment of the saddle but the support thereof at the center.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, the saddle 21, is provided with a horizontal aperture through which] a bolt 22, eX-.

tends this bolt being'bent into a right angle and engaging the downturned end 23, of the clamping strip 24. The boards in this case may be spaced apart by means of small blocks 25, nailed to oneedge of a board. An advantage in the construction just described lies in that the saddle may be of a slightly less length than that shown in Fig. 1.

Obviously other modifications may be made in the construction shown and such modifications as arewithin the scope of my claims I consider within the spirit of my invention. a

I claim: 7

1. Ina device of the class described, the combination of a saddlea running board laid thereon, a separate strip, and means for exerting an adjustable-downward pull on the ends'of said strip and thereby clampingsaid strip, boards and saddle together, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a saddle mounted at the ridge of a car, a, running board laid on said saddle, a strip laid transversely over and engagin said running board, and a bolt at the end 0 the saddle said bolt engaging an end of a d adapted to exert an adjustable down- Preferably tongues 17, are struck- Wardly-directed clamping force on said strips for exerting an adjustable downstrip, substantially as described. Wardly directed clamping action on said 10 3. In a device of the class described, the boards, substantially as described.

combination of a metallic saddle secured to a car roof at its two ends and middle por- WILLIAM FOWLER tion, boards laid on said saddle, means for Witnesses:

spacing said boards, a metallic strap laid on O. V. MURRAY,

said boards, and means at the ends of the T. D. BUTLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

